There is a new exhibit at the University of Arizona Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium: Universe of Science. It features a variety of interactive activities for people of all ages to learn about fields of science and how to become a scientist.
The exhibit, which opened Jan. 28, will be open for an extended period without a set closing date.
The idea for Universe of Science hatched about two years ago with the goal of inspiring everyone to be scientists and highlighting the science that surrounds us every day.
Bill Plant, director of exhibits at Flandrau, was a main contributor to the exhibit and said he’s happy with how it turned out.
“We tried to cater the experiences to a variety of audiences,” Plant said. “The wonder of science museums is it allows you to go to a place you normally can’t experience.”
Some of the features in the museum include a monsoon simulator, an artificial intelligence photo game, a periodic table explorer and an “inner scientist” interactive mirror. Visitors can also expect to be entertained with collaborative games.
A sign at the Universe of Science exhibit sparks visitors to think that science all starts with a question.
Patrick McKee, a UA student, has visited the science center before and was excited about the new exhibit.
“I’ve heard great things about it, and I’m really excited to see how they bring different aspects of science to life,” McKee said. “I know they always do a great job with their exhibits, so I’m excited.”
He said he’s intrigued to see how the exhibit encompasses all aspects of science.
The Universe of Science also has a deep Tucson and UA connection. It contains video boards throughout with videos of UA scientists telling stories about how they became interested in their field of science and what it means to them. This aspect of the exhibit gives visitors a look into what is going on in science locally.
The inner-scientist mirror identifies visitors as a scientist at the Universe of Science exhibit at the Flandrau Science Center.
“All these kinds of questions people have about scientists, you can get from the perspective from different kinds of fields and people,” Plant said.
The exhibit contains replicas of the mirror on the James Webb Space Telescope and the first maps of the moon, which were created at the UA. Plant said there is no better way to inspire and ignite visitors’ inner scientist than showing examples from Tucson.
Nick Letson, manager of marketing and communications at the center, helped create Universe of Science and said he is fascinated with the extent of its reach. His job is to make the public aware of the exhibit, and he said while the exhibit has only been open for about a week, the response from the community has been positive.
“We have been getting feedback that the exhibit is beautiful, it’s engaging and it’s been really good so far,” Letson said.
From space to weather to the periodic table, the creators of Universe of Science want people of all ages to learn about the many fields of science and see that science in everyday life.
Along with Universe of Science, the Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium also has older exhibits about the deep sea and insects open to the public.
Admission to Flandrau, located at 1601 E. University Blvd., is $18 for children and those with a college ID and $26 for adults, with discounts available to seniors, military and others.
Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.
